UP ATS arrests four ISIS suspects from Aligarh

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four suspected ISIS terrorists from Aligarh on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Raquib Imam Ansari (29), who pursued B.Tech and M.Tech from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Naved Siddiqui (23), who holds a B.Sc degree from AMU, Mohammed Noman Gaffar (27), a BA (Hons) student from AMU, and Mohammed Nazim (33), also from AMU.

The ATS said the four were associated with the Students of Aligarh Muslim University (SAMU) and ISIS, and were allegedly plotting terror activities across the state.

Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that the accused were inspired by ISIS ideology and were taking instructions from their ISIS handlers to carry out terror activities in the state.

"They were collecting material and planning some strike," Kumar added.

The ATS recovered propaganda material related to ISIS and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) from their pen drives.

The ATS said that names of the four arrested surfaced during questioning with Arsalan and Tariq, who were arrested earlier on November 6.

Later, on November 8, another suspect, Wajihuddin, who also holds a PhD in public administration from AMU, was arrested.

A senior ATS official said that till now, seven members of the module have been arrested.

“All the seven will be confronted together to know more about their module and operation,” he said.

Names of Arsalan and Tariq had first come to light after the arrest of one Shahnawaz Alam and Rizwan Ashraf by the Special Cell of Delhi police. They were associated with the Students of Aligarh Muslim University (SAMU).

"Some members of this students' body are sympathisers of ISIS," the ATS said.

Alam and Ashraf were self-radicalised and had disclosed that they were planning attacks in Ayodhya, Delhi's Akshardham, and Chabad House in Mumbai on October 2.

Ashraf was allegedly in communication with a foreign-based handler and remaining members of the module and had taken a pledge to join ISIS.